Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-07-29
"Nyhere is Pick?" she asked.

or the parents mad seen HIM tor
more than three hours. With white,
scared faces, and with fearful dread
| ciamorins at their hearts, they searched
the cabin, the clearing, and the woods
bordering it, and reused the echoes with
their cries and shouts. lie did not answer;
there was no sign nor trace of him. To their
nearest neighbor. tvo miles through the
forest, they went at once and told their
pitiful story. The neiehbor had horse,
and he volunteered 10 carry the news to all
the settlers in the vicinity at once. 1t was
done, and by sunset fifty men with guns,
axes, and material for torches assembled
at Danvers cabin. Di?iding up into small
parties during the whole of that night
and the next day they beat
the woods for ten miles in every di-
rection. Experienced hunters and wood
men were of tie party, and they declared
afterward that if alive, the child could not
have escaped nor concealed himself from
their search. Sadly and sorrowfully they
returned, the last party arriving after mid
night Of the second night. The quest was
utterly vain; no print OF his foot, no shred
OF Ills clothing, nothing chat would denote
his presence could he found. The stricken
parents, like the patriarch of old, refused
to be comfortcd. Like him they felt, if
they did not say, of their darling, "Somc
wild beast hath devoured him."
With anguish and heaviness of heart did
Guy Danvers and his wife pass that fall and
dreary winter that followed it. The heart
felt sympathy of their rude pioneer neigh
bors was given them, and many visit
was made them through the trackless SHOWS
of the forest; but these things could do
little to aSsaugc their grief. Sometimes
they talked Of returning TO their old Con-
necticut home; but all places were much
the Same to them now, and they decided
that their heavy burden could be borne as
we'll here as elsewhere. The spring came
The snow disappeared. the grand forest
| around them was bursting into verdure and
bloom, and filled with the happy song of
birds; but the JOY of nature only caused the
hearts of these parents TO bleed afresh. In
the twilight of an April evening they sat
together with bowed heads and clasped
hands, listening as a travelling missionary,
| who had stopped with them over night, and
to whom they had told their story, read to
Them from his Bible. He had turned to
the Book of Job, and his voice, was solemn
and impressive as he read that inspired
record Of loss, disappointment, and trust in
God.
"The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken
away; blessed be the name of the Lord"
The door softly opened as he read these
words-there was no knock or call-and
there in the doorway stood Kondiarock,
holding his long rifle i'll one hand, with tho
lost child standing by his side The little
fellow was dressed in Indian fashion
throughout, from the eagle-feathers of a
chief in his hair to the deer-skin moe
casins upon his feet, and his whole attire
was snowy with beads and trinl1cts. In an
instant he was in his mothers arms; then
his father clasped him to his breast and
the tears, the joy, and the Thanksgiving
that followed, as one might be welcomed
back from the grave, need not be dwelt
upon here.
There was a time during the evening,
when the boy, fatigued With the excitement
of this meeting, and the long journey he
had taken, had once more been placed in
his little crib, and the hunger of the
Indian had been satisfied, that the latter
told in a few words the story of little Picks
loss and recovery. The missionary was
well acquainted with the Mohawk Ian
guage, and he was able to interpret every
ord 10 fl,o
the morning of the childs disappearance
small party Of Mohawks We're about to re-
turn TO Grand River from visit to their
Old home. One of them strayed a little
way from the Ridge, and near the edge of
Danvers clearing he found the boy at play.
Prompted by some motive which konlia-
rock could not explain, he kidnapped tie
child, and the party took him with them to
the Grand River. No one saw the act, and
they met none of the white settlers on their
way; SO That the affair was buried in Sc
crccy. Upon reaching the principal Mo-
hawk village little Pick was adopted into
the family of a chief, and there lie would
probably have remained, had not llondi-
arock, who had been absent oil the winter
hunting ID lue canadian Wlt1S, returned to
the village. He recognized the child at
once, and related to the great chief Of the
tribe, who was no less a person than Joseph
Brant, we'll known in history, the story of
the kindness Of the boys parents to him.
self.
"And tlen." continued the Indian, "the
great Thayendamgea said, Let US be Just;
let us do right Do you take back the white
pappoose; rejoice the heart of the pale face
squaw with her child So four days ago
did Kondiarock leave the huts of his people
at Grand River with the child. Very slowly
he came, for the boy was little and easily
tired; and then Kondiarock would take him
up in his arms and carry him. The SHOWS
are deep on some of the way; the great
river of the Niagara had to be crossed; the
forest was full of hungry wolves; and when
night came, Kondiarock had to watch by
fire and keep the boy safe and warm. But
he is safe now in his own wigwam; and
Thayendamgea has said, that, for their kind
ness to one of his tribe, the Mohawks shall
now always be friends to the boys
kindred"
The face of the Indian was as impassiye